Last Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was called upon by the United States Congress to prepare a testimony addressing the concerns about whether TikTok violates American user privacy. Prior to the meeting, Chew celebrated the app’s success in having over 150 million active users each month. However, the celebration quickly became a source of fear as a national security risk over the significant amount of user data.
The workers joined picket lines in the rain at a bus yard with signs reading, “RESPECT US!” demanding better wages and increased staffing. Other demonstrations are expected at schools across the city by members of Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents about 30,000 teacher’s aides, special education assistants, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers, and other support staff.
Before passing the bill into law, it was granted support by Kentucky’s Republican-dominated legislature. During the House debate, Republican Rep. Timmy Truett came forth with his opinion and approval of the bill. He stated that the disciplinary steps are not intended to increase suspensions and expulsions among students, but rather to create a “learning environment free from disruptive behavior.” He said “this bill will make public education better,” giving the students and teachers what they deserve.
Over the weekend, Trump announced that he might be arrested on Tuesday, stemming from the accusation that he paid $130,000 dollars in hush money to former porn star Stormy Daniels via his ex-attorney/fixer, Michael Cohen, to cover up an extramarital affair. The funds were then paid back to Michael Cohen via several mislabeled payments over time. Although the statute of limitations has expired on this particular type of misdemeanor, DA Alvin Bragg is attempting to move the charge to the level of a felony by claiming that the act of paying hush money on Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election was done to affect the results of the election.
A recent meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin has put an exclamation point on their, until recently, cordial acquaintanceship. Gone were the casual remarks about admiration of each side, maybe best characterized and encapsulated in the 2001 Treaty of Good Neighborliness and friendly cooperation (which sounds like the title penned by The Simpsons’ source of puritanical emotional repression, Ned Flanders).
Tuesday, March 21st, Bruce Springsteen added the 2021 National Medal of Arts to his collection of awards. This award was presented to him by President Biden, who referred to Springsteen as “the Boss.” This award is the nation’s highest award for advancing the arts in the United States. The award marks Springsteen’s third from the White House. He previously earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama along with a prestigious Kennedy Center Honor.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the House will no longer pass “omnibus” spending bills under GOP leadership and that Republicans will return to traditional ways of working. This means passing individual spending bills to give Congress a chance to manage the government as they are a committee.
Florida Governor Ron Desantis is continuing his middle path approach in staying out of the muckraking scrum when it comes to former president Donald J. Trump; even as Trump appears to be on the ropes with a potential arrest coming down the pipeline, tied to former porn star, and thorn in Trump’s side, Stormy Daniels.
Former President Donald Trump is expected to be arrested this week by the Manhattan District Attorney. If this arrest comes to fruition, Donald Trump would be the first former president to be indicted. He would also be the first presidential candidate to campaign while facing criminal charges.
On Saturday, March 18, North Korea claimed that about 800,000 of its citizens volunteered to join or reenlist in the nation’s military to fight against the United States. As reported by North Korea’s state newspaper, “The soaring enthusiasm of young people to join the army is a demonstration of the unshakeable will of the younger generation to mercilessly wipe out the war maniacs making last-ditch efforts to eliminate our precious socialist country, and achieve the great cause of national reunification without fail and a clear manifestation of their ardent patriotism.”
The White House, Congress, and the military now see the Iraq war as a lesson in failed policymaking, and one that should be deeply absorbed. Before the war started, when G.W. Bush was president, G.W.B stated that this was a dangerous war to enter, as it would cost the United States billions of dollars. Here we are now, twenty years later, having spent two trillion dollars in Iraq without much to show for it. The price paid does not stop at dollar signs, however; over 8,500 American lives were lost in this war.
In a televised address about the recent crisis involving the emergency federal seizure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature bank, President Biden reassured the American people that the banking system is still secure; and measures will be taken to make sure minimal blowback will be felt by the public as a whole.
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